Luke SkywalkerandDarth Maulare two of the galaxy’s most pivotal Force users, and in one long-forgottenStar Warsstory, they even fought a duel. ThoughDarth Maul and Luke Skywalker have never crossed paths inStar Warscanon– the closest they ever came to interacting was when Maul hunted down Obi-Wan Kenobi for one last showdown on Tatooine inStar Wars Rebels– it’s still interesting to think about what could have been.
OneStar WarsLegends story imagined how and why Luke Skywalker may have encountered Darth Maul, despite his premature “death” inStar Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. InStar Wars Tales #17(2003), a short story titled “Phantom Menaces” by Joe Casey and Francisco Paronzini sees Jedi Knight and New Republicambassador Luke Skywalkerencounter a strange Maul-shaped apparition while on a mission on Iridonia. How could Maul be there, though, when he’d been cut in half years earlier by Obi-Wan Kenobi on Naboo?
Darth Maul Was Brought To Life As A Hologram “Haunting” Iridonia
After arriving on Iridonia – the planet where Maul’s species, the Zabrak, are originally from – R2-D2 warns Luke of an approaching presence. Luke senses a disturbance in the Force and duels with a life-sized, solid hologram version of Darth Maul, capable of rudimentary speech and combat. Luke easily survives two encounters with “Maul” and decides to investigate, and finds the laboratory ofa Zabrak scientist named Drell Kahmf, who recovered Maul’s bodyand, more importantly, his brain, resuscitating it and using it to preserve Maul’s essence and create the violent, solid-state hologram.
Darth Maul Explained: Dathomiri Origin, Sith Apprenticeship, & Revenge On Darth Sidious
Though Maul’s legacy was seemingly cut short in The Phantom Menace, the former Sith apprentice has had a massive impact on Star Wars' story.
Drell reveals that he revered Maul, saying he was once “Iridonia’s greatest champion,” before being cut down in his prime by an “accursed Jedi apprentice.” In the end, Luke shuts off Drell’s device, ending Maul’s artificial life. Of course, this story was written well before the animated seriesStar Wars: The Clone Warspremiered in 2008, which also decided to bring back Maul but in a very different manner.
Star Wars Abandoned This Idea… For One Far More Exciting
In Casey and Paronzini’s story, the apparition Luke fought wasn’t genuinely Maul. It was an artificial version of him, powered by a reanimated brain. It could fight and say a few minor catchphrases, but it wasn’t a true reflection of who Maul used to be before his fateful duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi on Naboo. It certainly wouldn’t have been capable of creating as much chaos as the realMaul did after he was resurrectedinStar Wars: The Clone Warsseason 4.
Maul’s canon revival made him one ofStar Wars’most compelling characters.
InThe Clone Wars, Maul utilized his rage as fuel to keep himself alive. He was recovered by his brother, Savage. After his fractured mind and body were healed, Maul became an agent of chaos, winning favor with criminal gangs and anarchists, amassing power. He took on an apprentice and became enough of a threat that his old Master, Darth Sidious, personally came to subdue him. Maul’s revival made him one ofStar Wars’most compelling characters.Darth Maul’s first, non-canonical return was interesting because it made him cross paths withLuke Skywalker, but nothing compares to his second life inStar Warscanon.
Darth Maul
Palpatine’s apprentice, Darth Maul was nothing more than a tool to winnow down the ranks of the Jedi ahead of Darth Sidious' true plans. Discarded after he was defeated by Obi-Wan Kenobi on Naboo, Darth Maul swore revenge against all those he blamed for his past struggles - Jedi and Sith alike. Maul tended to operate within the shadows, running various syndicates, and even established himself as a true rival for Palpatine on at least one occasion. He was eventually killed by Obi-Wan in a duel on Tatooine.
Luke Skywalker
The son of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, Luke was brought up on the desert planet Tatooine. Initially mentored by Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke fired the fateful shot that destroyed the Death Star, and he became a rebel hero. Despite the fears of Obi-Wan and Yoda, Luke’s faith in his father was proved well-founded when Vader returned to the light. With the Emperor defeated, Luke dedicated himself to bringing back the Jedi; his first attempt ended in tragedy due to Palpatine’s manipulations, but Luke’s legacy lives on in Rey.
